My six–year–old son LOVES to fish. He has the patience, the focus and overall sensibility to be a fine angler. Alex has spent some time deep sea fishing; he brings home some delicious grouper and a bunch of fish tales as well. His three–year–old sister, Harper, has always seemed to lack the desire and determination to go out with her dad and brother. This weekend, however, that all changed.

Harper took to fishing … well, like a fish to water. She was thrilled with her first catch and wanted to catch more. While fishing is a great way for parents and kids to spend some time together, there are other important life lessons to be learned as well.

Patience is a virtue. Sometimes catching your prize can take a while. Families spend so much time moving. We often run from one activity to the next, multitask, and try to accomplish as much as we can in the shortest amount of time possible. Fishing is a chance to really be present in the moment, and aware of your surroundings and the subtle changes in the environment, which will lead to a successful catch.

Bigger is not always better. When you’re three, it doesn’t matter whether you hook a huge grouper or a small pinfish, the thrill is the same and the sense of accomplishment is much bigger than the fish you hooked.

Princesses get dirty. Armed with her pink rod and reel, Harper was unafraid of touching the bait, holding the fish, or throwing it back into the water. It was a great opportunity to get her hands dirty.

Save some for the next person. Fish play an important part in the well-being of our waterways. Kids might be disappointed that they can’t keep everything they catch, but learning about sustainable oceans and responsible fishing will make them good stewards of the environment later.

Local is best. The local food movement is everywhere these days. From backyard gardens to farmer’s markets, we are getting the message that food grown close to home is better for everyone. This is true for fish as well.  Catching, cleaning (with some help) and cooking the catch of the day will almost certainly ensure your child never asks for fish sticks again.

Real life is better than virtual. Getting out on the water with your kids provides memories that will last a lifetime. Harper is already asking when she can go deep-sea fishing and is fascinated with the photos and fishing reports coming in from the Destin Harbor. Harper (and all of us) learns and gets inspiration from photos, but there’s nothing like getting out in nature and experiencing it first-hand!

Photo by JosieA

Susan Jarvis Moody is a freelance writer, blogger, wife and mother of two.  She lives in Destin Florida. For more information about Destin and the Emerald Coast, please log on to www.destin-fwb.com.

Anglers in Florida won’t need a saltwater fishing license for two weekends in June. The License Free weekends are June 4 and 5, the first weekend of red snapper season, and June 18-19. Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission also announced that it will expand bay scallop season by two weeks. The season begins June 25 and ends Sept. 25.

photo- howardkt77

Come on out this Saturday, May 14th from 10 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It’s being held at the Oyster Bar and Marina in Perdido Key off River Road. Admission is FREE and it’s going to be a great time.

There will be a variety of hands-on activities including:

• Paddleboarding demos
• Scuba and snorkeling demos
• Cast net and fishing demos
• Reptile show
• Alabama Gulf Coast Zoo- World’s First Environmentally Sustainable Zoo opening in 2K12
• Kid’s Zone

The Rotary Club raffle will include free parasailing  adventure for six, $150 gift card to Academy Sports and lots more. . .

Take your kids fishing at Weeks Bay Reserve. The kids will have fun fishing in a fully stocked pond called the Safe Harbor Pond. The event will be held May 7, 2011 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. This is a free event and is a joint project of the Foundation, the Reserve and ADCNR State Lands Division, Coastal Section and Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division.

Safe Harbor pond is located across U.S. Highway 98 from the Reserve Visitor Center. For more information, contact Walter Ernest at (251) 990-5004.
www.weeksbay.org.

Download the registration form here

View Fish River Bridge in a larger map

The Expo begins Thursday and Friday, April 28 and 29, with field trips for area students with Saturday, April 30, as the FREE Family Day which is open to the public from  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some of the events include a Black Bear of the Delta demonstration, live marine animals and nature activities for children.

The expo features presentations and displays by experienced outdoorsmen, professionals and educators and will include many hands-on opportunities to help festival attendees learn skills to increase their knowledge and enjoyment of the Delta while promoting responsible outdoor recreation.

The featured presenter, Dr. John C. Hall, author and expert on naturalist and Delta explorer William Bartram, will be mesmerizing young and old alike as he depicts William Bartram in full costume with many artifacts to share.

A new part of this expo is The Great Bartram Canoe Classic which is held on Saturday. It’s a canoe race and kayak fun run for the whole family. You must preregister at 5rds.com

For driving directions, click here. It should only take a little over an hour to get there from Pensacola and will be an exciting time for the whole family.

The other day I was talking to Shawn about some of the exciting things we have going on in Navarre. One of the things I was bending his ear about was our great Navarre Beach Science Station. The science station is a former ranger residence on Navarre Beach that was given to the Santa Rosa school board for dual enrollment marine science classes. The Science Station is located on Santa Rosa Island, one of Florida’s barrier islands, midway between the Gulf of Mexico and Santa Rosa Sound.

The Station is more than just a classroom, it’s also a center for hands on marine environmental education. The students that take classes there don’t only learn, they also teach. High school students teach younger students about the Gulf of Mexico in action packed, standards-driven two hour festivals to include learning stations focused on fishing limits, marine debris, casting skills, and various topics of study.   A major goal of the project is to provide meaningful outdoor experiences for all students.

In the spring and summer there are many opportunities for children from all over to go to:

Summer day camps, camp sessions emphasize marine science and coastal ecology while nurturing the curiosity and stewardship potential in each child. They offer informal, field oriented, memorable camp experiences that balance detailed study with exploration. Using elements of environmental and experiential education as well as creative arts, each session is tailored to meet the learning stages and styles of kids’ grades 3-5 and 6-8.

Saturday by the Sea programs, which use hands-on activities, stories, songs, crafts, and live animal encounters to introduce them to the Gulf of Mexico. With a four hour program packed full of activities including kayaking and field studies.

Creep into the Deep Overnight Sleep Overs- 2 sessions for boys and 2 for girls in April and May. Want to know why the ocean glows at night? Grab your sleeping bags and experience a true nocturnal adventure! Explore the station as you’ve never seen it before – in the dark by flashlight. We will begin our evening with a twilight plankton tow using our kayaks.  An evening exploring the outdoors and hands-on labs await you!

I have volunteered, mostly with the kayaking portions, at the Station since before it’s inception and I have to say this is great environmental education made fun. The students and participants are enthusiastic and thrilled to be there.

All the details and charges for programs are available at

http://www.navarresciencestation.org/ Do you and your children a favor and check out their website and keep your eyes open for their Open House this year, big fun!

Kayak Dave

http://www.navarrebeachkayaks.com/

Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park is officially designated as part of Florida’s Statewide System of Greenways and Trails. This beautiful park is 1,184 acres of land, located between urban Tallahassee and suburban Leon County. It has formal gardens, two lakes and a series of trails, all on former plantation lands.

The gardens are open year-round and the historic Maclay House Museum is open during blooming season, which is January through April. You can arrange a guided tour by calling the park at (850) 487-4556.

Lake Hall Recreation Area has a playground and picnic tables for taking the kids to play. In the warmer seasons, you can enjoy the swimming area. There is also a dock for fishing and kayaks are also available. Or, you may take a guided tour with The Wilderness Way.

Lake Overstreet has over eight miles of trails for hiking, biking and horseback riding.

Special Events take place throughout the year. Camelia Christmas took place on December 5th with luminary-lit walkways, cookies and apple cider. Santa Claus also made an appearance. Monthly programs include plant care workshops and children’s activities. The gardens are also available for weddings and receptions.

Entrance fee- $6.00

Well, to find these giant redfish, you need to be on the beach, gulf side. The key is to look for diving birds. If you don’t have access to a boat, you better be prepared to wade out as far as you can with a big rod and cast to them, as these fish are in the 10-15 foot depth range. These birds are diving on all the pilchards and menhaden that are schooled up on the shorelines this time of year, so in order to catch these fish, you need to “match the hatch” as I call it and use these types of bait. If you are using artificial bait, then a Z-man Minnowz or a Z-man Swimmerz bait will suffice. I promise you this, you can catch them on artificial bait just as you can with live bait. I recommend the Z-man bait because their elaztech plastic that they make these baits out of is virtually indestructible, thus easing the hit your wallet takes when buying baits. The colors I have found to work the best this time of year are, New Penny, Hitch, Natural, and Opening Night (glass minnow). Just remember, if wading out to catch these, be VERY VERY careful as the stingrays are mixed in with these reds as well. I have seen some of the biggest stingrays ever lately, they look like coffee tables laying down on the bottom. If it looks like a coffee table from 15 ft up, you know they are big. SO BE CAREFUL!

The key is to just cast into the bait pod that the birds are diving on and let your bait sink right to the bottom as this is where the fish are holding. The fish hold there so that they can ambush the bait from below and pick off any stragglers that are left behind outside of the bait pod, thus making it an easy meal. If you are on a boat, then your chances of catching one of these beasts are ever increased. You want to follow the same procedure as you would wade fishing only you can cover more ground this way: Look for birds and bait; cast into them; let it hit the bottom; and start twitching your bait. It wont take long before a fish devours it and you have a fight on your hands. The law in Florida doesn’t allow you to keep these sized redfish so you have to throw them back. But after a few photo’s of you and your catch, throwing it back will leave you with a good feeling knowing that you can come back tomorrow and catch her again. I say “her” because once the reds reach this size they are all breeding females, which is one of the main reasons your not allowed to keep them.

If you’re on the Gulf Coast this winter, make this one of your adventures for a day. I promise you this, it will be a trip of a lifetime. We have some very good guides here on the coast that love doing this sort of thing. If you’re unsure of who would be the best guide in town, hit me up (general@fishhappensoutdoors.com) and I’ll direct you to the right person for the job.

Till next time tight lines and may God Bless.
Chris Williams

Tight Lines,

Chris Williams
fishhappensoutdoors.com

We met John at Ruby’s Fish Camp which happens to be a great place on Perdido River to launch kayaks and SUP boards.  On a grassy lawn next to the river, John gave us fly fishing lessons. After getting a feel for casting a fly rod on land, we ventured out on the river.

The fish camp is located on an area of Perdido River where the currents aren’t as strong. Further up the river there is a nice current which would make it a bit more challenging to learn to fly fish. Once on the river, we paddled to a nice inlet. There we found the place where John would have us give a shot at fly fishing.

I wish we could say we caught the big one, but we didn’t. We did however catch a great time. If you are interested in learning to fly fish or go on a SUP boarding adventure, John Griffin offers a variety of packages. To book a session or to get more information simply click the learn more button and we’ll get you in touch.

Ready to go on a fly fishing and/or SUP board adventure?

Photos from our fly fishing SUP trip

Pete Delle Ratta teaching cast net throwing at a Pensacola Fishing Club event

Pete Della Ratta is a former minor league baseball player who now teachers Physical Education at Woodlawn Beach Middle School in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He includes fishing into the program and takes his students to Shoreline Park to learn how.
Mr. Della Ratta is also a member of the Pensacola Fishing Club.